Are Baby Dedications Biblical?

I think it is good for parents to dedicate their children to the Lord, but I can't (at the moment) think of any scripture to back it up.

HMMMMM------

Tam

 

We don't have baby dedications - we have parent dedications.

 

Hannah dedicated her child to the Lord is the only time in scripture that I can recall, but there are enough verses to say to train up a child correctly, to teach our children to follow Christ, etc.. While the ceremony itself in a church setting doesn't appear to be mandated, I think it's a nice thing to do, it recognizes the value of life and reinforces the parents obligation to raise the child right.
Gina

 

I would estimate (conservatively) that 90-95 % of the average worship service would be heretical IF "Biblical precedent" were used as the yardstick!

And I would add "doesn't appear to be condemned"! What matters is how does the practice (whatever it is) fit the overall teachings and principles of God.

Obviously not every situation is going to be explicitly referenced in Scripture, BUT if you are really concerned, a principle will be forthcoming to guide you in your choice.

Like Ivory soap (99 94/100 % pure) this one facet of God's word is responsible for all manner of heresies, cults, denominations, arguments etc. After all if God had emphatically said, "Do not ever consume ANY alcohol in ANY form, at ANY time!!",
then how many discussions re: the "sin" of drinking would there be?

 

I see where we are told to repent and be Baptised everyone of us. I don't see any passages where any of the Aposltes went and out and dedicated whole households for the Lord, they Baptised whole households.

Grace56

 

There are many things that are done in the Church that are not Biblical. But thet are not unbiblical either. Much is traditional. (Sunday school, bus ministry, special music etc.)

 

If there is nothing in scripture to prevent it, how can it be unbiblical? As someone said Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord. Did she do something worng? From what I've seen parents dedicating their child to the Lord means they are making the promise to teach their children about God and His commands and to follow Him, teaching them about Jesus and sin, bringing them up in a christian home taking them to church, etc. It is also the church promising to provide a good place where the falimy can go to learn and worship with thier child.
It is has never as far as I have ever seen have anything to do with salvation. All involved know this, it's only those on the outside who beleive this.

 

How come they never dedicate their paychecks to the Lord?

 

And how do you know they haven't?
The bible doesn't say to give your entire pay to the church, but it does say to give your child over to God, to teach then to live the way God wants us to, as opposed to doing nothing letting them 'make their own decisions' on what they want to beleive when they are grown. Which is one of the most rediclous statements I've ever heard a christian parent say.

 

"Suffer the children to come unto me and forbid them not" is what comes to my mind. When we dedicated our baby to the Lord, we were doing so as a promise that we would do everything we could to raise our child right and bring her to Jesus. Of course, we can't force her to be saved, but we can show her the way. I don't see anything in the Bible condemning what we did with our daughter.

 

>And how do you know they haven't?

Anyone ever seen a paycheck dedication ceremony?

In biblical times parents could dedicate children because children were property - so were wives.

 

In addition to Samuel, Jesus Himself was presented at the Temple when a few days old. Arguably, this could be viewed as congruent to dedication...

Yours in Christ

Matt

 

Matt, he was presented for circumsion at the age of eight day and given the name Jesus, see Luke 2:21.

Circumsion was the sign of the Old Convenent and baptism is the sign of the New Convenent. Both done to infants, and adult converts.

grace56